Clan Glaeden
by Aquaticzeus
Summary: This collection of short stories are derived from my own FlightRising account. Each tale represents how a dragon came to be a member of Clan Glaeden. These stories will have no more than 3k words each to make for light reading, save for a few odd balls I have in mind. If you enjoy FlightRising, short stories, and have seven minutes of free time why not stay for a tale or two?
1. Clan Glaeden Introduction

**Greetings!**

This is the nature clan Glaedan, a clan devoted to Gladekeeper and her blessings. Our clan patriarch is Savith, the founder of our clan from a time long past. We are a moderate clan, consisting of only 40 resident dragons at the moment, and our primary trades are fine crafts, rare herbs, healing services, and various medicines for many ailments. We try to make peace with the neighboring beastclans, but some are outright hostile towards us. That is why we are currently saving up for weapons and armor to protect ourselves from aggressive beast clans that wont listen to our words.

**Dominance and Exaltion**

Being deeply devoted to our Glademother, we take Dominance very seriously and coordinate our goals with that of the Main Nature Dominance leaders. During profit pushes we donate as much as we can to the Seed Bank and when Nature is Con-questing for a top rank we exalt our select Chosen members. These members were chosen at birth to train under Savith's guidance to prepare themselves for Gladekeeper's service. However, since we do have a handful of clutches at a time, Savith cannot train them all. We then exchange these select few to other clans who excel in training new dragons to exalt, for the tiniest of fees of course. We recently have also joined the SnowGlories Grove.

**Lore**

Our clan has a long history with many stories to tell. Each one of our dragons can spin you their tale if they are in a sharing mood. Clainfar (our historian, librarian, and record-keeper) also keeps a wide selection of books that he would like to recommend to you!  
Currently working on giving the main dragons lores,  
as of right now only 3/7 dragons have them, sorry.

**May the Gladekeeper watch over you and your own!**

-Tigress,  
Lead Ambassador and Treasurer of Clan Glaedan


	2. Trials of Temara

**The Trials of Temara**

*****_This story was written in collaboration with FlightRising user Anabiosis*_

(Part 1-Anabiosis)

A pair of imperials returned from a day's worth of scavenging and hunting with a bountiful supply of food for them and their daughter. They were both feeling the after-affects of so much work, as their arm and leg muscles were painfully sore.

"Temara," the female imperial called to her daughter, "will you make me Lafriea's Ale?"

"Yes, mother!" Temara responded.

After some crashing in the kitchen, Temara came right back to her mother and father, who were chatting to themselves.

"Here you go!" Temara said with a smile. She left them on their own after, playing around outside.

"Isotta, make sure not to drink too much." said the male imperial, Arvius, to his wife.

"Of course I won't, Arvius. Do you think I'm dumb?" Isotta said jokingly. They both laughed and began to drink. Their muscle pains were relieved immediately.

Suddenly, they heard rustling in the kitchen. Arvius ran to investigate, and inside he saw two Skydancers, rummaging around.

"You scoundrels, thieves, disgusting!" Arvius yelled, chasing them around. The two Skydancers ran away.

"Isotta, come on!" yelled Arvius, "I'm not going to let those rats be away with our food!"

Arvius stumbled out of the kitchen. Isotta followed, tripping over herself as she ran.

"Temara," Isotta called to her daughter, "get inside and stay!"

"But mother, you shouldn't be out when you've drank-"

"Be quiet, get inside!" Isotta commanded. Temara, visibly shaken and confused, made her way inside. She knew something was wrong, but was powerless to her mother.

Arvius and Isotta gave chase and eventually made their way to several Skydancers. Their walking patterns were rather imbalanced.

"You get back here," Arvius slurred. The Skydancers, confused and scared, tried to run away. Isotta cut off their escape route.

"Not getting away from me," Isotta garbled. The Skydancers were trapped between the two.

Isotta attacked first. She was far larger than the Skydancers and was able to grab them with ease. She strangled the terrified female skydancer. Her face went blue, her eyes dimmed, and her body fell limp. Isotta dropped her to the ground next to her terrified mate, who was now calling for help. Arvius picked up the other male skydancer, and held the skydancer to his face.

"You stole from the wrong imperials," he slurred. He stumbled back a bit before he launched the skydancer at the trunk of a tree, head-first. The skydancer was dead upon impact. Arvius and Isotta left the scene.

They stumbled back to their home and fell on the floor. To their misfortune, someone had seen them commit murder right before their very eyes and had immediately reported them to the chief. Several other clanmates ventured to the abode of Isotta and Arvius. They took them away, right before the eyes of their young, confused daughter, Temara.

They were placed in front of the chief, who quickly made the decision to exile them. The witness had made it clear that the murderers were Arvius and Isotta and the Chief believed them without question.

Temara tried to argue their punishment. "They were intoxicated! They'd drank Lafriea's Ale!" Temara yelled.

"Had they taken it, they would have known the consequence. It's called an ale for a reason, my dear."

"Don't call me that! You sniveling scum! They don't deserve to die! They did not mean it!"

"They aren't being sentenced to death," said the Chief calmly, "they're only being exiled to the woods."

"You're exiling them at night during the night of no moon! There are monsters there that will attack! You're going to kill them!"

The chief sighed and nodded. "You're right, I'm sending them to their death. An eye for an eye. You'll understand when you've grown, Temara. This is the right decision." the Chief concluded.

Temara wanted to continue fighting it, however she knew her cries would fall upon deaf ears. She helplessly watched as her parents were urged past the totem poles, and she watched her parents disappear into the darkness. Her face was stained with tears. "They don't deserve this!" Temara yelled and yelled, but to no avail.

It was nighttime and the clan was thriving. Everyone was happy and all was well.

Everyone except Temara.

Ever since she watched her parents walk to their death as per the ruling of her Chief, she was never the same. Everyone had noticed it, including her, and though she attempted to mask her pain, she never could. She had to find a way to rectify their death, and she believed she knew exactly how.

She knew monsters would not be out that night. It was the night of a festival and the moon was shining fully.

Temara brought a vial of her own blood with her. She stepped past the totem poles and poured her blood on the ground. The dark spirit, Velour, rose right where she poured her blood.

"Dark spirit Velour," Temara said, "I need your help."

The sun was hanging tall in the sky. Temara, the Chief, and several others were out hunting. Temara had spent a year regaining the trust of the Chief, enough so that the Chief began bring Temara along with him during hunting trips.

The trip had, so far, been rather unsuccessful. Nobody had spotted anything of note, other than just a few birds and rabbits. That was, however, until the Chief spotted a beautiful, lonesome white-coated male stag with a large set of shining horns . The stag had noticed him and began to run away, however the Chief gave chase. Temara followed, convincing the tribesmen that it was dangerous for him to go alone and that she'd make sure he would be okay.

Temara waited and waited. She chased the Chief until he was deep in the woods. The wait was painstakingly long, but she persevered. Soon, they were so deep into the woods, it would be impossible to hear a yell from far outside. The Chief shot his final arrow at the stag and missed narrowly once more as Temara fired her arrow at the Chief. It punctured his throat. He sputtered and sputtered as Temara walked to him, slowly, in case he was to pull anything. She watched him suffer and saw the life drain out of his eyes. Finally, she unsheathed a dagger and stuck it flat into his chest. His body went cold immediately and he stopped breathing. She pulled her dagger out of his chest, sheathed it again and left him with his blood soaking into the ground. The monsters would take him eventually. She filled a vial full of his blood and left him.

The stag returned, shifting into a form resembling an imperial. It was the dark spirit, Velour.

"Give me the vial." Velour said, his hand outstretched. Temara placed it in his hand, and the darkness surrounding velour enveloped it. It slowly morphed into his hand, and soon, it was completely gone.

Temara tried to leave, but Velour stopped her. "You know, you haven't completed the other part of the deal."

Temara sighed. "Fine." she stepped underneath an opening of light so her shadow would appear and Velour entered it.

"You'll never regret this deal. I guarantee it." Velour said, rather sarcastically.

"Whatever, I need to get out of here." Temara said, picking up on the sarcasm.

Part 2- Aquaticzeus

Fleeing under the dense foliage of the forest, Temara thought of where she could go to avoid the H'mam and the Moon's wrath. The Sea of a Thousand Currents? No, the moon controls the tide and would sweep her under in an instant. The Starfall Isles, perhaps? If only they did not welcome astral bodies into their homes and their studies. She knew she needed a place with no light, somewhere even the moon's rays would have trouble reaching her.

"I heard that the Shaded Woods were quite dark and secluded from light, maybe you could find refuge there." whispered Velour.

With no other options, Temara took the spirit's advice and began her journey to the Shadow Flight, sure that her clan, the H'mam were already on her trail.

After a month of traveling and evading the H'mam, Temara finally made it to the Shaded Woods. She decided to make a small lair for herself in the Driftwood Bog, close to the border between Nature and Shadow. For a small time everything was peaceful. She had covered her tracks from her old clan, sheltered in a heavily shrouded part of the bog to avoid the moon, and hunted to her pleasure. Life was good.

After about a week the dark spirit Velour began to become bored with Temara's safe haven. "Aren't you tired of living like this? No clan or proper lair for yourself? Only hunting and sleeping your days away in this state of limbo? Would you parents be proud of where you are now?"

"Be. Quiet." hissed Temara. "You do not know what my parents were like, you have no right to bring them up."

"Oh? How can you be so sure?" mused Velour, "I am a part of you now, and your memories of them are very vibrant and beautiful." "I would dare say that I know them as well as you, maybe even better and I am thinking that they would be ashamed in your actions. Killing the chief in their name after they already accepted their death? Nothing but dirty vengeance in their eyes, I'm sure."

"SHUT UP!" screamed Temara as her tears began to pool.

"Suit yourself, it is not wise to ignore the truth." said Velour as he left her alone with her thoughts and memories.

A season had passed since Velour first spoke of her parents, and the taunting had only been getting worse. Now he began to show her cruel visions. Her parent's shadows in the distance, members of the H'mam in the corners of her eyes, and her dead Chief plaguing her nightmares.

"Why are you doing this?" weeped Temara, "You said I would not regret your deal, but it is your deal that is tormenting me!"

"Ah, you should have known better young dragon, or are you like your parents? Shortsighted and ignorant to your own decisions? Do you really believe that killing your chief was wise? Now look where you are! Alone, in a bog with a hut barely worthy enough to be called a shelter rather than the 'lair' you so claim it is? And to think YOU of all people evaded the H'mam, ha! Or did you? Maybe they are biding their time, waiting until you are nothing but a sack of sour muscles to give you the same fate you did to their leader? Perhaps they have been here this whole time, laughing at you as you fake complacency and complete your puny hunts of rabbits and small river pigs!"

Temara did not know how much longer she could endure under Velour's scrutiny.

Velour's words cut through Temara like serrated daggers. His mind tricks were horrible and relentless. Surrounded in his darkness she knew she needed a distraction, something to make him shut up for a few hours. She decided to visit the Everbloom Gardens in the Viridian Labyrinth. It would not be hard to get there, just a half hour and she would cross the river separating the Shadow and Nature flights. It took all her willpower to force Velour out of her mind as she took flight. As she was nearing the border the trees began to thin and the sun's rays of light warmed her tormented body.

As she crossed the river, she looked back at the Driftwood Bog. What was she thinking, settling down in a depressing place like that?

"You weren't thinking, you just acted without thought. Just like your parents." said Velour.

She ignored his comment and looked down at the river's edge. Something was off - shouldn't the water be blue and not a bright shade of green? She leaned closer, only to see roots and leaves scattered at the bottom. Suddenly, they started moving. The leaves formed a lush mane, and the roots grew until they resembled long elegant horns. As the being opened its beautiful green eyes, it began to speak.

"Ah, child, you have done much to get you here. You have endured what others could not, and have forsaken your entire clan for a wrong that was not yours."

"Who are you? And how do you know about my past?" said Temara, fearing yet another foul trick by Velour.

"This is no trick, child. I am the Gladekeeper, master of this garden and lord of the Virdian Labyrinth. I see your struggles as clear as you can see the sun. Your mental capability is as strong as the bark from the Behemoth and you heart still beats with the courage and passion it took to complete your goals despite that foul demon haunting your soul."

"Please Gladekeeper, rid me of Velour. He has been nothing but a burden, pitting me against my own sanity every waking minute and steals all the comfort of my sleep with his terrible nightmares. Please help me." pleaded Temara.

"I cannot change your past, young dragon, no more so than I can severe your pact with the spirit. You willingly gave him your blood and formed a bond that no deity can break."

"Then it is hopeless. As long as Velour is with me I will eventually seek death to end his torture."

"I can offer you a better deal than he did child. I can offer you true safe haven, in a clan  
that would care for you, provided that you bring your hunting prowess with you. This clan has a blooded history much like your own, but there you can seek companionship and support to help deal with your demons. All you need do is pledge yourself to my flight and my honor and I will show you the way to Clan Glaeden, your true home."

Temara could barely contain her joy. A home? With others, besides Velour? A real chance at starting over? She could hardly believe it. "I will take your deal Gladekeeper, and promise to serve you and provide for this new clan to the best of my abilities."

"Wise choice, child. Now take this, and go to Clan Glaeden, concealed in earth and with love to share, this is where your true home will be."

As the vision of the Gladekeeper disappeared from the water, a small scroll was left and a small parade of butterflies began to make a trail for Temara to Clan Glaeden. As she picked up the scroll her body began to shift. Her large horns fused, creating crests. Her enormous bulk shrunk and compacted into an agile body with lean muscles. Her eyes changed color as she grew another set and her skull reformed to take its new shape.

Frantically looking at the river's surface she saw that she was no longer Temara the Imperial, she was Temara the Mirror.

"A final gift to throw the H'mam off your trail, no one will be looking for a mirror in the Viridian Labyrinth." whispered the Gladekeeper.

"Thank you, for everything." Taking in a deep breath into her new lungs, Temara started to follow the trail of butterflies.

"This won't save you, even if you have changed your form to throw off H'mam pursuit and will live in a cave, in a clan safe from the moon, I will ALWAYS be with you no matter what." threatened Velour.

As the sun brought warmth to her hide, Temara said, "I don't care. I have a new home to get to and I do not need your words right now." Preparing her mind, she pushed him to the corners of her thoughts with a strong mental effort. "As long as I have others to spend time with, a reason to live, and the sun at my back, I can and WILL endure whatever your throw at me."

Her mind temporarily her own and a new hope in her heart, Temara followed the path to Clan Glaeden, the sanctuary and new beginning she had been hoping for.


End file.
